The University Grants Commission has notified 33 new undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and restructured 21 existing programmes in allied and healthcare professions, establishing more uniform academic standards under the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions framework.
The revised specifications are intended to bring consistency to degree names, course duration and entry qualifications across institutions. The changes cover a wide range of clinical and diagnostic disciplines that support doctors, nurses and hospitals in delivering patient care.
The notification was issued on August 27 as the fifth amendment to the specification of degrees under the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, and was published in the Gazette on August 31. The standards are to be implemented from the 2026–27 academic year.
Covered fields include physiotherapy, occupational therapy, optometry, medical laboratory sciences, emergency medical technology, anaesthesia and operation-theatre technology, nutrition and dietetics, psychology, medical radiology and imaging technology, respiratory technology and dialysis therapy technology.
The framework also provides specialised postgraduate pathways. These include nine Master of Occupational Therapy specialisations and eight Master of Physiotherapy specialisations, giving students clearer options for advanced professional training.
Allied health education has expanded across universities, hospitals and private institutions, but differences in nomenclature and programme design have complicated equivalence, registration and recruitment. A common framework is intended to make qualifications easier to recognise across states and employers.
The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions has already released 18 competency-based curricula covering 28 professions. States, Union Territories and educational institutions have been directed to adopt the revised curricula for the current academic session.
The curricula place increased emphasis on clinical exposure, practical training and internships. This approach seeks to ensure that graduates are not assessed only on classroom knowledge but also acquire the workplace competencies required in laboratories, imaging centres, rehabilitation services, emergency units and other healthcare settings.
Uniform entry qualifications and course durations can also reduce uncertainty for students comparing programmes. Institutions will need to align admissions, faculty, laboratories, clinical affiliations, assessment systems and internship arrangements with the notified requirements.
The reform forms part of a broader effort to regulate professions that are essential to modern healthcare but have historically developed through varied state and institutional rules. Clearer standards are expected to support professional registration, mobility and accountability.
Implementation will require coordination between the health and education systems because allied health programmes combine university degrees with supervised clinical training. Hospitals and diagnostic facilities will have to provide adequate case exposure and qualified supervision for students.
The success of the framework will depend on effective enforcement, sufficient faculty and training sites, and a transition process that protects students already enrolled under earlier structures. If implemented consistently, the notification can create clearer career pathways while strengthening the skilled workforce available to India’s expanding health system.
